Different Kinds of Hops in Your Craft Beer

If you are a fan of craft beer in Orlando, there is a good chance you have stopped by to sip a draft with us at Deadly Sins Brewing. If so, you have discovered our passion for crafting the finest brews around. At Deadly Sins, there are no shortcuts. We do it right every time. That’s why we take such extraordinary care in selecting the perfect hops for each brew.

Why the Hops in Your Craft Beer Matter

We know that even experienced craft beer fans may wonder, “what are hops?” We believe that every beer lover should understand the relationship between the right hops selection and that foaming glass of golden amber beauty. With that in mind, we thought we would offer some insight into the hops in your craft beer.

What Are Hops?

The flower of the hop plant, or Humulus lupulus, is the source of all hops. About 80 different varieties are available for use by brewers, with more always under development. Hops are generally divided into three categories:

Bittering – high acidity gives the bitter taste to beer and can be adjusted during brewing to add more or less bitterness

Aroma – less acidic, they add aroma which adds to overall flavor and enjoyment

Dual – they can be moderately to very acidic but with a strong aroma as well and are used for bittering and adding flavor

The hops selected for a beer are added during the boil. The duration of the boil and hops variety determine the intensity of the beer’s bitterness, or hoppiness, as well as other characteristics like flavor and aroma.

Forms of Hops

Along with knowing “what are hops”, you should also know that hops are available in several forms. When brewing craft beer in Orlando, we can select from:

Dry Whole Leaf — hops flower cones are dried to less than 10 percent moisture content and usually pressed into bales

Wet – freshly harvested with about 80 percent moisture content they are perishable and must be used immediately

Plugs – a small plug of dried hops used to add hops to ales through the cask bunghole.

Pellets – dried hops shredded and pressed into pellets

Extracts – extracted hop resin containing acids and oils

Powder – lupulin glands containing acids and oils are separated from the flower cones and processed into powder

What’s in Your Beer?

So, what type of hops have been used to craft the Deadly Sins beer you are sipping? Well, if it’s a Wekiva Pale Ale, your beer is hopped with Mandarina Bavaria hops which impart its mild bitterness and floral citrus finish and aroma.

On the other hand, if it’s a Grove IPA, dried El Dorado, Galaxy and Cascade hop varieties combine to provide its citrus fruitiness and complimenting bitterness. As you can see, the right hops make a difference, and what a beautiful difference it is.

Contact Us

If you haven’t joined us yet for a craft beer, stop by or contact us at Deadly Sins Brewing and discover our passion for offering the finest craft beer in Orlando. It’s what we do, and we love what we do. You will too.